Repercussions of a Strong Sixth Sense
by EternalCADFND
Summary: Cinque has always been an outcast, even in Class Zero- an elite group of the best fighters in the entire academy. Her sudden actions and speech tend to drive others away. What Cinque won't say is that her strong sixth sense has something to do with it.


**A/N:** Well! I've been looking at Final Fantasy Type-0 fan fictions (and have noticed an absence of fictions focusing on Cinque .) and have gotten interested in the game again. Though the gameplay looks a little intimidating... ^^; Really, really fast... But I think I'll like it anyway. On to the story! Granted, I don't really know _how_ Cinque's personality is unusual, since I don't understand Japanese, so I'm just taking a shot in the dark. I like how this turned out, though. I was kind of delving into the _why_ Cinque acts 'weird' enough to drive most people away.

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><p>Cinque struggled to keep her eyes open. She knew her body needed sleep, but she hated what she saw when she closed her eyes. The sixth-sense that kept her and her teammates out of trouble on missions had side-effects that weren't desirable. Faces and screams were etched vividly in her mind, mixing with her normal every-day thoughts- the thoughts a sixteen-year-old should be having. Wondering why Nine went out of his way to annoy Queen, why Kurasame wore that mask and why his Tonberry carried such a large knife, how close Rem and Machina really were (after all, they seemed more like boyfriend and girlfriend), occasionally noting how Ace looked, especially when he smiled. Normal thoughts. But then there would be the cries of the dead ringing in her ears, jarring her mind from the happy things. It affected her actions as well as her thoughts, much to her chagrin. She wished she could shut it off.<p>

The redhead was fairly certain she'd alienated everyone in the class, except maybe Rem and Deuce, but they accepted everyone. It was just their nature. She smiled wryly as she looked out the window, gazing at the star-lit sky. Things used to be simple. She wished it could be simple again.

When she finally did pass out from pure exhaustion, she swore madly at herself in her mind. She had another nightmare, filled with a sea of tear-strewn faces. Some were asking why she'd done what she'd done, others were swearing revenge, and considerably fewer were indifferent. She felt like she was drowning. With a start, she woke up. It had only felt like five minutes, but it had been at least several hours. She didn't feel rested, but it was dawn. Like always, Cinque got up, changed out of her night clothes and into her uniform, figuring she wouldn't be able to sleep while the sun was still up.

She walked out of her room, passing by the other girls' dorms, and after a little application of make-up to hide the circles under her eyes and the usual morning preen, walked silently down the steps into the common room. Nine was passed out on the couch, as per usual. The blond was a heavy-sleeper and therefore easy to get past. She opened the doors to the common room quickly and quietly, slipping out without anyone knowing. A normal start of the day for Cinque.

She walked down a few more flights of stairs, hung two lefts and a right, and proceeded to walk down the darkened hallways to her favorite place- the garden only of access to the staff and Class Zero. Cinque wasn't sure if she approved of the special treatment, but she knew that any of them could drop dead during the next mission, and the staff wanted to make sure that the 'kids' were treated well because of that. They risked their lives to protect their country- trying to keep it on its own feet in a last-ditch effort.

The ghosts were almost silent whenever she entered the garden. She never truly knew why- she could only guess that they were distracted by the beauty of the place as much as she was. Instead of hearing ugly words from soldiers she'd had to kill, she gazed at colorful flowers, softly stretching toward the rising sun. The sight always made her smile.

However, this morning wasn't going to be normal. Before he was halfway down the hallway leading to the garden, Cinque felt Ace's presence advancing. Ace? Why was he up this early? And why was he coming toward _her_ sanctuary? Not that it was hers alone, and he_ was_ an early riser, but not this early. She felt his pace quickening- yes, he'd seen her by now. She had to think of a suitable explanation. She turned around to face him.

"Cinque?" The blond boy spoke softly, his pale blue eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Good morning, Ace." She said quickly, before any of the ghosts or her thoughts could mess up her speech. She smiled sheepishly.

"Good morning," He said politely. "What are you doing out here so early, Cinque?"

"I-I could ask you the same question." Cinque stammered. She mentally cursed as the ghosts pulled at her thoughts and made her skin tingle. Oh, she hated it when they did that.

Cinque's expressions always puzzled Ace. She always looked like her focus was so far away, especially when talking to people. The only time she seemed honed in on anything was during a mission. Her face was twisted into an expression of discomfort, though she was trying to smile at him.

"I needed quiet." Ace replied, "Jack was snoring so loudly I could hear it through the wall. Barely slept." He hoped for an answer in return, but he never knew what to expect from the girl with the red braid.

"I, uh-" she looked down at her feet, tapping one foot on the ground loudly, as if to shoo something away. She then looked back up at the blond, "I couldn't sleep either. Nightmare."

Ace nodded in response, "What was it about?"

Before Cinque was able reply with 'I don't want to talk about it' (which wasn't exactly a lie), she said, "Faces. Faces of people we killed. Their death screams, too, and so much blood. They scream at me even when I'm awake. I feel like I'm haunted, Ace, I really don't know what to do. I feel like I'm going crazy." Cinque bit her lips. She regretted saying anything about what was going on in her head. Now he probably thought she _was_ indeed crazy. It figures, the guy she might actually like would think she's insane. Typical typical typ- but he wasn't calling her a freak. There was only silence.

'That certainly explains a lot. Cinque has a sixth sense, and it's strong. I didn't realize it affected her like this, though…' Ace gently placed his hand on her shoulder. He knew he couldn't understand exactly what was going through the girl's head, but he understood just a little bit more.

Cinque's eyes started tearing up. He wasn't pushing her away. _Ace_ wasn't pushing her away. He was standing right in front of her. Granted, part of her said that it was too soon to tell, but she held a little fragment of hope. She leaned forward a little bit, bowing her head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't- I'm-"

"Cinque, there's nothing wrong. Don't apologize." Ace said softly, using his free hand to lift her face, so she could see he wasn't trying to feign understanding.

For that moment, one glorious moment, all Cinque could see, hear, and feel was Ace. She could sense it- he didn't hate her. He wasn't rejecting her. She wrapped her arms around her blond classmate and comrade. Maybe, just maybe, he would accept her for all she was. It'd take time, but this was an excellent place to start.


End file.
